After The Storm
by Kronoskingofthemonkeypeople
Summary: POST 3.25 Ok so yeah, this has probably been done way too many times now but I needed to vent. But anywho: post 3.25 Will Meredith realise she needs Derek? Will Christina find Burke? Will Alex find Eva? What happens to George?
1. Chapter I

**After the Storm – Chapter I**

Meredith opened her eyes.

The room was dark except for the lights of the street lamps outside illuminating the room with deathly glow. She wasn't supposed to go to sleep. It was late now, she had to get up.

How late?

Meredith quickly shifted her head to the other side of the pillow to see the back of Christina's perfected styled head, the white flowers still clinging to her hair. She was curled up on the bed, clinging to the sheets as she lay there in her bridal undergarments. Meredith quickly turned away and looked through the window to the night outside.

Was this how relationships really end? With wasted weddings and sudden goodbyes until you ended up lying on your bed in your underwear, bawling your eyes out?

Meredith shuddered slightly and looked back over to Christina.

What had just happened that day? Everything seemed like a blur, the Chief and then Derek and then Christina. Everything Meredith had hoped for, everything Meredith thought could show her that happy-ending things could happen were ripped apart, torn to shreds and stamped on the ground.

Derek said she was the love of his life and yet she was sleeping in bed with a half naked Christina.

Meredith rolled over to her back and stared up at the ceiling. She was an attending, Burke left Christina, Derek and her were over.

Suddenly there was a noise next to Meredith. Christina shifted slightly then groaned.

"What time is it?" Meredith heard Christina mumble as she broke the silence of the room.

"Go back to sleep." Meredith said quickly, still staring up at the ceiling. She needed time to think. It was too early to be flung back to reality.

There was silence again. Christina shuffled her knees up on top of the sheets a bit more then stopped. Silence again.

"Has he come back?"

Meredith remained staring at the ceiling in hesitation as the silence slowly swallowed up the room. Her eyes began to warm a bit and a knot grew harder at the back of her dry throat as slowly the events of the day came rushing to her. Quickly she swallowed back the knot and turned onto her side, moving up to Christina and holding her close as she felt Christina breathe faster and heavier.

Slowly Christina's breaths became slower, and Meredith closed her eyes.

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"Hey."

Callie chucked her hotel key card on the table with her handbag as she walked into the room.

"Hey." George responded mechanically as he remained sitting up on the bed, staring at the blank space in front of him.

"What's up?" Callie jumped on the bed next to him, kicking off her high heals as she shifted closer to him. "Why didn't you go to the wedding?"

"Oh I um...I had some stuff to do at the hospital."

Callie looked at George's face curiously then smiled kindly. "Well, it's not like you really missed the wedding. You won't _believe _what happened. Burke totally walked out on Christina."

"Burke?" George suddenly turned his head to Callie.

"Yeah, I know. I had my money on Christina but turns out everyone was wrong."

George looked away again and nodded his head slowly, suddenly looking up to Callie again. "Is Christina ok?"

"I don't know. She left after Burke. Meredith went after her after she called off the wedding. It's a shame though," Callie looked away in thought. "They really do seem like they love each other."

"Well, maybe it's good that he walked away." George quickly added. "I mean, it'd be better to walk away before the wedding if you have doubts, rather than to do it after you vowed to love and to cherish."

"Yeah…" Callie nodded slowly. "Guess we'll never know!"

George stared back at the space in front of him, his thoughts and anxieties flooding his head. "What do you think about Medical research?" He unwittingly blurted out.

"Huh?" Callie looked at him strangely.

"Nothing." George quickly defended. "Just…nothing. Don't worry about it."

Callie searched his faced curiously, her face starting to darken. Suddenly a smile grew on her lips as she hugged George's arm tighter in her arms. "Mercy West has a great Medical Research program…"

"Yeah." George sighed. "Yeah it does."

"Checking out the other side of the fence are we? Just think, you'll be working at Mercy West, I'll be Chief Resident at Seattle Grace, we'll get our own home soon and then we'll have a kid…"

"Hm." George forced a smile that quickly dissolved with his thoughts.

Callie shifted closer to him. "You know, we could try that whole baby thing again, seeing as how I shaved my legs, I'm wearing makeup and a hot brides-maid dress."

George pulled his gaze back to Callie and smiled reluctantly at her. "I'm… I'm kind of tired. It's been a busy day with the surgeries and the other stuff."

Callie watched as George lay down on the bed properly and flung the covers over himself. "Ok…love you." She said softly.

"Love you." George responded mechanically.

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Alex rolled up the bit of paper in his fingers and threw it into the bin near the door of the kitchen as he sat at the table alone, a half drunken bottle of beer next to his feet, as they lay plunked on the tabletop.

Alex reached over to his beer bottle again, picked it up and took another swig as he ripped off some more of the label and rolled it up into a ball with his fingers, throwing it over to the bin again. But something got in the way.

"Hey!" Izzie stood at the door of the kitchen as a small piece of paper rebounded off her brown dress and fell to the floor.

"Sorry." Alex responded coolly he took another swig of his beer.

Izzie walked into the kitchen and pulled up a chair at the table. "What are you doing here all alone?"

"Needed some _'me-time'_."

"What happened with the Eva thing?"

Alex stopped taking a swig, put his beer back on the table and looked up at Izzie. "How come you're here so late?"

Izzie looked away. "The wedding was…a disaster. Burke ended up walking away."

"So how come you're here so late?" Alex continued.

Izzie looked back at Alex. "I was waiting for someone."

"Did they come?"

"No."

Alex picked up his beer again and took the last swig. Looking at the empty bottle in his hand he glanced at Izzie as she sat dejected on the wooden seat, hugging her bare arms for warmth, her makeup barely concealing the dark bags under her eyes.

Alex sat up in his chair. "Let's get you a beer."

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Derek walked up to the surgical board and scanned through the inbound and outbound patients, looking for a surgery he could scrub into. He needed a surgery. He needed something to go.

After everyone had left the church he was left alone, pondering where he could go to next. He couldn't go to Meredith's; she said they were over, he couldn't go back to the trailer; that would just leave him with only his thoughts. There was only one place he could go, the one place he shouldn't be straight after his good friend's catastrophe of a wedding, but yet there he was, scanning through the surgical board.

He just needed something to distract him, something to hold back the reality and the consequences of the day for just a tiny bit longer. Meredith said it was over and he just couldn't handle that yet. He needed a few more hours of ignorance.

Suddenly something shook Derek out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me?" The voice came again behind him.

Derek turned around to see a familiar figure. She was skinny, fair skin and had straight brown hair. And her face suddenly dropped as Derek turned around.

"Oh…ok." She mumbled.

A smile crept on Derek's face. It was the girl from the bar.

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**NB: The question again: why am I doing this? I have absolutely no idea why, I just needed to vent I guess. And so this is just a continuation straight on from the season finale, cause no way in hell can I wait till next summer. In fact, according to this fanfic, I can't even wait a whole 2 hours. **

**Anywho, this was me venting, and I will continue if people want me to, so I'd like to hear what you think. And if I do continue I plan to **_**continue**_**. I mean, try and resolve most of the stories of something, even if it takes me a while. But I guess that's a bit too optimistic. And we all know about oppti…**

**Ok sorry, can't quote season finale yet. Still too hurtful. It's great, I love it, but still too hurtful. **

**Anywho, just to know whether to continue or not, if there's anyone out there reading this who isn't sick of post325: review! Cheers!**


	2. Chapter II

**After The Storm – Chapter II**

"Oh…" The girl from the bar muttered nervously as se looked up at Derek. "Dammit."

"Sorry?" Derek raised his eyebrow playfully.

"Nothing…" The girl tried to pluck up some remaining courage. "It's just…do you work here?"

"Well, I'm wearing scrubs, and, not to mention, a surgical scrub cap. What can you deduce from that?"

"That you work here."

"Hmm..." Derek nodded, smiling. "I'm Dr Derek Shepherd." Derek put out his hand to the girl.

"Oh…" The girl simply looked at Derek's hand, stuck in midair. "You're an attending. That's…that's not so good."

"And who might you be?" Derek pulled his hand back and smiled. "It seems to be a regular occurrence now that I meet with the girls I flirted with in Joes afterwards at work."

"Yeah, but I'm one of the new interns. Starting tomorrow, actually."

A wry smile appeared on Derek's lips as he shook his head in the irony. "Ha." He said wryly. "An intern."

"Yes I am!" The girl reiterated her point. "But I ah, I have to go…"

"Well, pleasure to meet you, One Of The New Interns." Derek smiled and put out his hand again.

The girl stared at his hand again then smiled. "Ok, sure, yeah sorry, ah: Lexie. Dr...ah, Dr Lexie Grey."

Derek faced fell instantly, the name suddenly smacking him against a brick wall. "Grey?" He heard his voice mutter deeply.

"Oh yeah," Lexie continued to smile. "Don't worry, _not_ related to Ellis Grey."

Derek nodded slowly, her words barely registering in his mind. This was Thatcher's daughter, she was Meredith's half sister. And she had flirted with Derek in a bar. And she was working here.

"Ah, yeah…" Derek tried to shake himself out of his thoughts. "Nice to meet you."

Lexie smiled at him nervously once more then quickly turned away and shuffled down the hall, moving as fast as she could through the swinging doors.

Derek remained still, unable to move. He couldn't handle this. Not now.

He turned back to the surgical board quickly.

Parietal haemorrhage. He could do that.

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Meredith woke up quickly, the sound of banging reverberating from the kitchen. Quickly she realised she was still in Christina's bed, but Christina the place where Christina was supposed to be sleeping soundly in was empty.

Meredith quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and jumped out of bed, approaching the door of the room cautiously as he slowly grabbed the door handle and opened the door slowly.

There was Christina, still in her wedding undergarments, sitting on one of the kitchen stools with her back to Meredith.

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked quickly, slightly paranoid.

Christina turned and looked over at Meredith, still standing at the door. "I'd thought I'd do the Izzie thing and bake, but then I remembered that I can't cook, so I made coffee instead.

"You're still in your underwear." Meredith tried cautiously.

"It's comfortable." Christina dismissed.

"No it isn't." Meredith remained frozen at the door.

Christina looked at her corset indifferently. "Yeah, you're right. It isn't. Oh well!" Christina gulped down the last of her coffee and hopped off the stool. "Going to get changed now anyway. Gotta go to work."

Meredith remained still at the bedroom door as Christina walked up to her. "You're not seriously thinking of going to work today are you?"

Christina smiled at Meredith and shifted past her into the bedroom. "It's our first day as residents! You bet your ass I'm going to work."

Meredith looked over at Christina as she went through her draws, accidentally pulling out one that was empty then closing it quickly.

"You think Burke will be there?"

Christina's face dropped suddenly but she quickly forced a smile and opened another draw to busy herself. "Probably. He's still a surgeon." She tried to brush it off. "But so what if he is there? I'm free." She opened another empty draw and closed again.

"McFree as a Bird."

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Alex trudged down the stairs to the kitchen when suddenly he stopped.

Hopping down the stairs he swung over to the kitchen door.

"You're baking." Izzie looked up from the kitchen counter to see Alex at the kitchen counter, staring at her suspiciously.

"So?" She asked dismissively.

"What did you bake and how much?" Alex drilled her quickly.

"Just 2 dozen breakfast muffins, nothing to worry about." Izzie held up a freshly baked tray to Alex then put it down on the counter next to the others.

Alex looked sadly down at the muffins then back to Izzie as she began to clean the dishes. "Izzie," He sighed. "What happened to you yesterday?"

"What makes you think anything happened yesterday?" Izzie continued cleaning. "I just made you breakfast, that's all. Is it so weird for me make you breakfast?"

"Izzie…"

"I'm fine. Seriously." Izzie looked up at Alex who remained staring at her sadly. Izzie turned back to her washing. "But what about Eva, weren't you supposed to go running after her?"

"Who told you that?" Alex looked at her suspiciously.

"She-Shepherd told me when she left. What happened?"

"Nothing." Alex glanced at the ground.

Izzie looked back at Alex. "What do you mean, _nothing_?"

Alex looked up at Izzie then turned away. "I gotta go to work."

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"Got you coffee."

Callie held out a large Starbucks paper cup to George as he rolled out of bed. He picked it up from Callie's hand without talking and took a long sip.

"So!" Callie continued cheerfully. "I gotta get to work soon, busy Chief Resident and all, you want a lift?"

"Huh?" George looked up at her curiously as his face began to darken, once again the happenings of the day before flooding back to him.

"To talk to the Chief." A lump suddenly appeared in George's throat. "About changing to Mercy West."

"Oh, yeah." George nodded dutifully. "Yeah, I gotta talk to the Chief."

Callie smiled at George. "Well, come on, hurry up; I'm leaving soon. You should talk to Mercy West today too, there's nothing stopping them now that you've got your test results."

"Yeah." George nodded wryly. "Sure."

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**NB: So this chapter is still very much a prologue, trying to get everything set out after the relentless destruction of the season finale, which was absolutely fantastic, but still destructive. **

**But the next chapter everyone will be at the hospital so they'll be a lot going on there. I hope. **

**Anywho, a lot of you have asked me if this is going to be MerDer. Hell yes it is. I love MerDer, I've been a MerDer No.1 follower from the beginning. I'm a MerDer-hollic. But this still has to be reasonably realistic. And we all know that in the show, no way would Meredith go running back to Derek, professing her undying love for him and they'd go riding into the Seattle sunset and live happily-ever after. Because that's not Meredith in anyway, or Grey's Anatomy for that matter. **

**But no worries, we have all summer to get through this. And because of that ridiculous drought, I hope to get through all the characters. Or at least as many as possible. And yes, while I too love a bit of Addex, this will be Alex/Eva. And Addison isn't going to LA because I thought the spin-off was quite bad. **

**But yeah, I'm going with Lexie Grey not knowing she had a stepsister called Meredith who also works at Seattle Grace, because I don't think she does know about her. But if someone knows that she does, tell me before I write it down cause I want to get this down.**

**But dammit that was a long Authors note. Sorry about that, just needed to smooth some stuff out. Anywho! Stop me annoying rambling and get me writing new chapters! Review!!**


	3. Chapter III

**After The Storm – Chapter III**

"Finally!"

Meredith and Christina looked up at Alex and Izzie as they entered the locker room, gazing at the new facilities. It was like their old one, but with fewer, newer lockers and two extra showers which adjoined the room. Izzie stood at the doorway, gazing triumphantly at her new territory. "It took us ages to find this place. Alex kept saying it was in the east wing."

"Well that's where the attendings' locker room is." Alex defended quickly as he walked up to the lockers. "So what? We just pick one?"

"Yeah, the lock combination's in the locker." Meredith said while pulling out her scrubs and stuffing her bag into the locker.

Christina quickly tried to chuck on her scrub pants over her shoes. "This is going to be great. We're real residents now. Not like scut-running intern-residents, but actual, surgery performing residents."

Alex pulled off his top and grabbed his scrubs. "What I can't believe is that you nearly got married yesterday."

"Alex!" Meredith hissed angrily. Christina stuffed her bag into her locker and continued putting on her scrubs.

"Sorry." Alex looked over to Meredith as he put on his scrub shirt. "But it's true."

"Well, _I _can't believe we're being residents." Izzie interjected quickly with a forced grin. "Think of all those surgeries we'll be performing, all those we'd actually be _in charge_ of."

"The bowel obstructions…" Christina looked wistfully as she closed her locker.

"The appendectomies." Meredith added. Suddenly she closed her locker and looked around the room. "Hold on, where's George?"

Alex and Christina joined Meredith in looking around the room while Izzie's face fell slightly as she continued to put on her shoes. "Probably just late." She grumbled. "Or trying to avoid something…"

"Like who?" Meredith looked at Izzie curiously.

"Like Callie." Christina joked as she walked to the door. "So, let's go."

Alex closed his locker then stopped and looked at Christina strangely. "Ah, where to?"

Christina continued smiling. "You know, to surgeries and whatever."

"Which ones?" Izzie got up from the floor.

"Oh," Christina nodded slowly. "Good point."

There was a silence. Meredith looked around to the others. "So, what do we do?"

"We could wait for Callie to assign us cases?" Christina offered.

"No chance." Izzie walked up to the door. "Let's just go to the pit."

Izzie walked out the door as the others followed her. As she got out to the hall Izzie quickly stopped, gauged her bearings then turned around and went the other way down the hall.

Suddenly as they passed the nurses station they heard a noise behind them.

"Hey!"

Everyone stopped and turned to see Addison at the other end of the nurse's station. "Karev! I got a 7 and a half month C-section, wanna scrub in as your first official residential surgery?"

"Sure." Karev turned around and stuffed his fists in his lab coat pockets.

Christina rolled her eyes. "Talk about favouritism."

"Hey," Alex looked back. "Just because you're not specialising in neo-natal."

"Take cardiac over hormonal pregnant women any day." Christina smiled as Alex shrugged and walked over to Addison.

Christina turned round and continued to walk down the hallway to the pit as Meredith and Izzie followed. Suddenly Meredith felt someone on her arm as she was pulled to a halt.

"Derek."

"Keep walking." Christina muttered to Izzie.

Meredith looked up confused at Derek dropped his arm but continued to stare at her with his dull blue eyes, now darkened by the bags under his eyes. "We need to talk." He said softly.

Meredith turned round to Izzie who had stopped and looked at the two of them. "I ah…" Meredith looked back to Derek then over to Izzie. "The pit...I need to go – "

"Meredith." Derek remained still.

"I…"

"Pit, blood, surgeries." Christina grabbed Izzie and tugged her down the hallway, away from Meredith and Derek as Meredith turned back to him.

Sighing, Meredith looked over her shoulder then turned to the fire-exit door on the side, opening it and walking to the stairs. Derek followed slowly and closed the door behind him with a dull click.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Meredith turned to face Derek.

"Yesterday."

"What about yesterday?"

Derek opened his mouth as if to say something then froze. Closing his mouth, he looked at her strangely. "Meredith, just stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop trying to turn the conversation around, to escape as soon as you can. We need to talk about yesterday. I told you that you were the love of my life and you just ran away."

"Christina was getting married!" Meredith argued.

"Meredith…"

"I had to go, they were leaving…"

"See, now you're doing it again."

"What?"

"Trying to avoid me. Meredith," Derek moved closer to her and softly clasped her head in his hands. "I love _so_ much. The thought of losing you makes me sick inside until I can't concentrate on anything else. I can tell you I love you every day of every year but it still doesn't reduce the fact that if you keep running away from me, eventually you'll be too far for me to catch up."

Meredith looked up at Derek as he stared intensely in her eyes, the silence overcoming them as she began to falter then looked up at Derek again, sternly.

"I don't want to end up like my mum."

Derek searched her eyes then swallowed down. Closing his eyes he turned around and walked to the door, opening and walking out then letting close as its dull clang resonated over the cold concrete of the stairwell.

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"So," Addison looked up from the sink to Alex as he scrubbed his hands thoroughly before surgery. "What happened after the wedding? I mean, after you left the soon to be non-wedding?"

"Nothing." Alex continued to concentrate on his hands.

"Right." Addison nodded slowly, turning off the tap and standing up straight as she dried her hands. "Of course."

Alex turned off the tap. "I saw her, she wanted to go back to her husband so we said goodbye. Nothing happened."

Addison looked at Alex curiously as she folded her arms and leant on the sink. "You didn't see her."

"I told you, I saw her."

"You're lying." Addison smiled wryly.

"How would you know?" Alex threw a paper towel in the bin and grabbed another.

Addison pulled out a mask from the dispenser on the counter and looked over to Alex. "Because I know a girl like that wouldn't suddenly go with their nice carpenter husband when you run out of a wedding to get her back."

"I never had her in the first place." Alex mumbled as he tied up his scrub cap.

"So you didn't see her?"

"No."

Addison leant on the sink again. "Well are you going to go and find her?"

Alex remained silent, grabbed a mask and walked to the door, punching it open as he walked into the OR.

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"We got a Bowel Obstruction!"

"Mine!"

Izzie and Christina ran to the gurney as the paramedic pulled it out of the ambulance, both gosling to get to its side.

"He's been down about an hour." The paramedic continued. "Been intubated and got him on IV. Found him at the airport. We think he's carrying."

"Oo! Cocaine! Oh he's so mine!" Christina squealed as she tried to grab the chart off the paramedic.

"No way!" Izzie grabbed the chart off Christina. "I totally go here first, go get your own gurney!"

"We got a severe brain haemorrhage!" Another ambulance unloaded.

"Oo!" Christina turned around to look.

"Mine!" Meredith quickly ran out from the pit and got to the gurney as they pulled it out from the ambulance. "Someone page an on-call neurosurgeon!" Meredith shouted as she checked the patient's eyes as the gurney was rolled into the hospital.

Christina quickly ran back to the other gurney as Izzie already instructed a nurse to pump the ambo bag. "Sorry Christina, can't get distracted." Izzie smiled as she followed the gurney through the hospital doors.

"Stevens, what have you got?"

Izzie looked up to see Callie charging towards her through the pit.

"Bowel obstruction, emergent. Going to take him to the OR, get a portable x-ray then scrub in." Izzie put the chart back on the gurney triumphantly.

"On your own?" Callie raised her eyebrow.

"Well, I am a resident." Izzie smiled.

"It's your first day." Callie smiled demeaningly. "You need someone else in there."

"But it's a bowel obstruction!" Izzie protested in disgrace.

Callie ignored Izzie and looked around the pit. "Sydney!"

Sydney looked up from a chart from the other side of the room. "Oh! Hi there O Big Chief! First day of puttin' down the law I see. What did you want me to do cause you're the chief. Big chiefy-chief."

Callie smiled in pain as she backed away slightly from Sydney and quickly handed her the patient's chart. "I need you to help Stevens with this bowel obstruction. Just make sure she doesn't…kill anyone."

"Sure! Whatever you say, chief." Sydney nudged Callie playfully.

"Heh." Callie forced a smile then rolled her eyes as she quickly backed away and went to the other ambulance being brought in.

"What have we got?" She called out to the paramedic as he opened up the ambulance doors.

"47 year old male with cardiac arrest. We decussated him, got him stable but his pulse is thready."

"Oh that is so mine!" Christina ran out from the pit again as she grabbed onto the gurney for dear life.

"We've pushed two of epi." The paramedic continued as he pushed the gurney into the hospital. "But we're hearing murmurs. Something's wrong with his heart valve I think."

Christina pulled out her stethoscope and listened to the man's heart. "Who's the on-call cardio-thorasic surgeon?"

"I am."

Christina continued to hold the stethoscope to the patient's heart as she peered up to see Burke standing there with the chart in his hand.

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**NB: Oo, so Burke's at work! Interesting…and rhyming! But Jesus, guys: you really are champs. And I don't use that name lightly (in fact, I think I might overuse it maybe, but in this case I use it in it's original, fantastic and rare sense) but you guys are champs. Thanks for all those reviews. Really makes everything worth it.**

**But enough of that! What's going to happen here then? I don't exactly know. What, sorry, I do know who I'm shipping except for one thing: the Izzie/George/Callie triangle. I don't exactly know who I'm going for there. Cause I love Callie, and I love Izzie, and I love George so I'm not really certain about anything with that triangle. But know one thing for certain, George will be talking to the Chief next chapter, so we'll see how his future goes there (and when I say future, I mean in my personal fanfic world future).**

**But yeah, hope you're liking it. Or at least finding it moderately interesting. So ah, review! Cheers. **


	4. Chapter IV

**After The Storm – Chapter IV**

"Oh." Christina looked up at Burke awkwardly. "Ah, hi."

Burke looked at her sadly as she quickly looked back down at the patient and took off her stethoscope, hurriedly picking up the patient's chart off the gurney and flicking through it.

"Ah, 47 year old male with cardiac arrest." Christina nervously tried to avoid Burke's gaze as he remained staring at her. "Paramedics resuscitated him and pushed two of epi but there are obvious heart murmurs." She put down the file and looked up at Burke.

Burke remained unchanged. "You ok?" He looked down at her sadly.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. 'Course I'm fine. I'm always fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?" She forced a weak smile.

"Because of yesterday." Burke folded his arms. Christina quickly tore herself from Burke's gaze and flicked through the patients chart. "Look, I'm sorry I did that but we should talk – "

"Can I scrub in on this surgery?" Christina looked back at Burke.

Burke sighed sadly. "Sure."

"Then I'm fine." Christina put the chart back on the gurney and began to push it out of the pit. Burke remained standing with his arms folded, looked up at Christina as she walked away and sighed. "I need an intern." He called out.

"I'm an intern!" An Indian looking guy quickly ran up to Burke, smiling as he held his stethoscope enthusiastically around his neck.

"Good. I need you to follow that Doctor who's just leaving now and watch her do the cardiogram then run her labs for her."

"Sure." He nodded smiling, though obviously disappointed. "I'll go." Turning around he ran back after Christina.

Burke wandered out of the pit when he was budged aside by a gurney being pushed by Meredith. "Sorry!" She cried quickly as she looked up from the patient at him.

"No problem." Burke smiled sadly then continued to walk out of the pit.

Meredith looked back down at the patient and turned off her torch, looking at the patient's head carefully.

"You paged?"

Meredith froze quickly as she heard the voice. Sighing frustrated, Meredith looked up from the patient to Derek as he flicked through the patient's chart.

"20 year old female, fell of a balcony. Severe haemorrhaging to the occipital lobe. Pupils are not responsive but she does respond to painful stimuli."

"Ok," Derek put down the chart. "I'll take her into surgery." He began to wheel the gurney away.

"Wait, I don't get to scrub in?" Meredith piped up quickly in disbelief.

Derek looked back at Meredith. "This is basic operation, you're a resident now, I don't need you in there. You're needed elsewhere."

"But – "

"Can I have an intern over here?" Derek cried out as Meredith glared at him.

"Sure! I'm here!" An intern quickly ran over to the gurney.

Derek looked up to see Lexie Grey standing at the foot of the gurney, smiling. He suddenly felt a cold stab in his heart as he looked at her but quickly he tried to shake it off. "Today's your lucky day!" He smiled as Meredith continued to glare at him. "You get to scrub in on this haemorrhage."

"Really?" Lexie beamed.

"Seriously." Derek smiled.

As he began to wheel the gurney away once more, Derek looked back at Meredith as she stood there alone in the pit as the new interns and their residents were scurrying around her. Quickly Derek looked away and swallowed down the dry lump in his throat as he helped Lexie push the gurney out of the pit, and walked away.

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"Dr O'Malley?"

The Chief's secretary walked out of the office and looked at George as he sat down on one of the seats outside, hunched over as he clasped his hands in thought.

"George." He looked up at the secretary.

"Ok George." She smiled kindly. "The Chief would like to talk to you now."

George looked back to the ground again then stood up slowly and walked to the door as the secretary walked out and closed it behind her, leaving George as she walked down the hallway.

Looking down at the door's handle, George reached out of it then quickly stopped. Dropping his hand, he looked down the hallway again as he sighed, looked back at the door and grabbed the handle, opening up the door and walking in.

"Sit down O'Malley."

George slowly walked up to the office desk and pulled up a chair, sitting down as he looked up at the Chief, watching George carefully as he leaned back in his chair, his hands joined in a fist as he watched George carefully.

"You failed your exam." He remained watching George as he looked up at him.

"Yes sir."

"Mercy West won't take you now."

"No sir, they won't."

Richard leaned forward in his chair. "O'Malley, what happened?"

"In my exam?"

"Yes."

"I don't know." George replied simply.

"O'Malley, something must have happened in the past few days to make you fail your exam. You're a surgeon, you've improved so much over this year so to see you suddenly fail your theory exam – "

"Sir, I don't know we're you're going with this exactly but I think I should remind you that I did, actually _fail_ my exam."

"Are you going to do your internship again?"

"No." George looked away. "I can't…I can't do it all again."

There was a silence. The Chief looked down at his hands then looked back up at George. "I know… I know I shouldn't be doing this, but you have the capabilities of being a great doctor, if I can convince you to do the exam again – "

"I can't ask that of you sir."

"Why not?"

"Because, because I've been given a new shot of life. I'm not like you sir. You got the job of Chief again. You can try and balance your life. My life…my life has just been crazy since I came to this hospital, and I don't think I can keep going like this."

"O'Malley…" Richard sighed sadly.

"Why didn't you give Chief Resident to Bailey, sir?"

"What?"

"She's more than up for the job. She's the best resident you have, and you know that. She keeps everyone in line, even the attendings. Why didn't you give her the job?"

Richard stared at George then quickly turned away, looking out the window into the foyer of the hospital. "Because I didn't want to wreak her family life. She has a kid, and a husband. She's happy there. I can't destroy that for her."

"Me and Callie are thinking about having kids." George added quickly.

"O'Malley…" Richard tried to protest.

"No, no this is good." George stood up and pushed his chair back in. "Thank you for everything Webber, but I've got a second chance now. I can do whatever I want. I can bring up a real family."

George forced a smile at Richard then walked over to the door and opened it.

"O'Malley!" The Chief called out sternly. George reluctantly stopped and turned around. "You are a surgeon, and you'll never forget that. Think about what you're doing O'Malley. You're making a big mistake."

George looked down at the ground then quickly opened the door fully and walked out.

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**NB: Is George really going to leave? Well, he says he is, but what will happen when everyone else finds out? But I feel that I should explain my MerDer situation a bit. In the last chapter, Meredith expressed that she couldn't invest in a long-term situation, that she doesn't want to end up like her mother. Cause her mother invested, twice. One ended up in a failed marriage, and the other crashed and burned when the man he loved chose the other woman. So she can't invest, cause she thinks that all relationships are doomed so she doesn't want to go through with that. And Derek gets pissed off, as Derek is the King of Passive-Aggressivia, so he doesn't let her in on his surgery. Instead, he lets Lexie scrub in. **

**Interesting…Anywho: please review! Your reviews keep me from writing more of this crap and wanting to make something better, and sooner! Review! Cheers!**


	5. Chapter V

**After The Storm – Chapter V**

"Woops, watch out!"

Izzie stopped squeezing out the stained condom balloon from the patient's small intestine and glared at Sydney as she stood on the other side of the table, hands behind her back as she looked on. Izzie could tell by her scrunched up eyes that she was smiling. She was always smiling.

"Heart-rate just jumped a little there." Sydney added, her eyes still scrunched.

"I know." Izzie scowled at her then turned back to the intestine as she pushed the white balloon out. "That's the last one." She sighed as she handed the small stuffed condom to the scrub nurse. "Check to see if it perforated."

"Great work Izzie McGee!" Sydney's high-pitched voice rang through the OR. "Now for the hard bit: stitching him up and putting that 21 foot intestine back where it should be!"

Izzie just looked up at glared at Sydney again. "I know." She said coldly.

"Oh! That's right!" Sydney quickly added cheerfully as Izzie's stare pierced her. "You're a resident now. Real surgeon. Just can't help it, you know." Izzie rolled her eyes and went back to starting to stitch up the intestine. "Jeez," Sydney continued undeterred. "I remember when I first met you all as interns. So long ago…You really were a great bunch. Bailey did a fantastic job; I was so surprised when she didn't get Chief Resident. Then again, I was even _more_ surprised when I found out you didn't all pass your final exams!"

"What?" Izzie quickly shot up.

"Huh?" Sydney looked at her curiously as she had just been smacked out of her rant.

"You said one of us failed our exams." Izzie remained fixed on Sydney.

"Did I?" Sydney looked around absentmindedly. "Oh yeah, I did."

Izzie looked at her curiously. "But who? I know for a fact that everyone in our group passed the exams."

"Do you?"

"Yes!"

"Well then, someone lied." Sydney simply looked back at the stat monitor.

Izzie remained still. "But who?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Sydney looked back at Izzie sadly. "Resident/Intern confidentiality."

"But one of my friends failed their exams!" Izzie protested.

"And yet, they didn't tell you."

Izzie quickly avoided Sydney's gaze and looked back at the intestine, picking up the needle again and tying up the first stitch. Sydney had to be wrong. There was no way anyone in Bailey's group failed, no way that she wouldn't know. Sure it would be terrible if it happened but no one would keep a secret like that from anyone else in this group. They were all family.

Sydney had to be wrong.

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"You paged?"

Meredith looked up from her chart as she leaned on the counter of the nurses' station and smiled wryly at Derek, his black hair matted down from his surgical cap and his eyes hanging with exhaustion.

"Yes!" Meredith smiled sarcastically. "I have a patient for you." She held out her chart to him. "I was thinking about scrubbing in myself but then thought maybe you'd prefer to perform my surgeries."

Derek sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Meredith, I don't want to fight…"

"Really? Cause I got the impression that you were pissed at me 5 hours ago." Meredith stopped smiling and glared at Derek.

"Meredith…" Derek rubbed his eyes in exhaustion

"What?"

Derek looked up and down the hallway quickly then grabbed Meredith's arm and guided her over to the storeroom door, opening it and pushing her in before him as he walked in and closed the door behind them.

Meredith watched him run his fingers through his hair again as she folded her arms. "So now I'm getting the feeling that you wanna fight – "

"Dammit, Meredith!" Meredith stopped short. "Just make up your mind!"

"What do you mean?"

Derek paced up and down the storeroom then stopped and leaned on one of the metal shelves, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair again and looked at Meredith. "I just…. You can't keep doing this to me; blow me off when I tell you I love you, then get pissed when I don't take you into surgery."

"I'm a surgeon." Meredith justified simply as she quickly avoided Derek's gaze.

"Meredith, please." She looked back up at Derek. "Just make up your mind. Because I can't stay here forever. You keep pushing me back and I'll be gone. I want to be with you for the rest of my life – "

"Oh, what's the point?" Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Sorry?"

"What's the point of all this? Nothing lasts forever! Not with me. If we keep going, if we make all those stupid sacrifices and overcome all those pathetic little challenges, it still doesn't change the fact that in a year or two we'd be sick of each other!"

"Meredith!" Derek quickly moved closer to her.

"Come on Derek, you know it's true. I'm damaged. I know that. That's just me. The more you stay with me, the more damaged _you_ become. You'll leave me soon enough so I'm giving you a get out of jail free card."

"Meredith…" Derek moved closer and tried to brush her cheek.

"Don't." Meredith grabbed his hand and put it down. "Just don't. I can't go through all this when it's all going to end anyway. It's over."

Derek dropped his hand as he felt his body go numb, a lump suddenly forming in the back of his throat, choking back his words. "It's over?"

"Yes."

Derek could feel his breathing becoming heavier and heavier. Staring into Meredith's eyes they remained frozen, the outside noise of the hospital falling deaf to their ears. Quivering, Derek moved slightly closer to Meredith as she leaned in, their eyes still fixed to each other, staring at the dark hazel of their eyes.

Quickly Derek moved back, the lump in his throat holding back his breath.

"Fine."

Derek turned around and opened the door, walking out into the light of the corridor and slamming the door behind him, leaving Meredith engulfed in the dark of the storeroom alone.

Taking in a shaken breath Meredith stood up taller, her chin up. But she faltered. Letting out a choked back cry Meredith sank to the floor and stared blankly into the darkness of the storeroom.

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"Alex! I need to talk to you!"

Alex looked up from the computer by the surgical board to see Izzie leaning over the counter staring at him with an obviously forced smile.

"What do you want?" Alex asked dully as he stared back at the computer.

"We're family right?" Izzie cautiously continued, still smiling.

"Right." Alex sighed, still staring at the computer.

"I mean we're close. Really close. And all the…stuff, you know; All that crap that happened last year, it's all water under bridge."

"Uh-huh." Alex mumbled. "Just goes straight on through."

"I mean, you'd tell me if something big…something marjorly huge happened in your life, right?"

Alex looked up at Izzie as she leaned over the counter and tried to smile enthusiastically. "What do you want?" He asked suspiciously.

"You didn't fail your final exam did you?" Izzie blurted out quickly.

Alex was surprised for a second then leaned back in his chair, looking up at Izzie. "Iz, what did I just do then?"

"Ah…a C-Section with Addison?"

"Exactly. Do ya think I'd still be scrubbing into surgeries if I failed my exam?"

"Ah…no."

"Ok then." Alex moved forward in his chair and looked at the computer screen again. Suddenly he glanced back up to Izzie as she remained leaning over the counter. "Why did you want to know anyway?"

"McPerky told me that one of us failed our exam."

"And you thought it was me?"

"Well, you failed your last one! Who else would it be?" Izzie cried out defensively.

Alex just went back to his computer. "Well, it wasn't me."

Suddenly a nurse came up to the counter. "Ah, Dr Karev?"

"That's me." Alex looked up from the computer.

"Someone called the main desk, didn't give any details but just wanted to tell you that um…" The nurse lifted up a post-it note up to her glasses. "_We're catching the 9:00 Grey Hound bus back home, leaving from the station. If I go home I'm not coming back._" The nurse but down the note and took off her glasses. "Does that mean anything to you?"

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"George!"

George wandered aimlessly down the corridor of the hospital, sipping his coffee when suddenly a familiar voice rang out in the hall behind him. Turning the corner he tried to ignore it and kept on walking.

"George Freakin' O'Malley!"

George reluctantly stopped and looked back down the corridor as he saw Callie charge up to him.

"George," She said more softly this time as she came up to him and stroked him on the chin, her determined face now softening. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"So you know." George mumbled simply as he looked in her eyes.

"Of course I know." Callie murmured sadly. "I'm a fifth year resident. Let alone the Chief Resident. George, what happened?"

George turned from her gaze and walked over to one of the open conference rooms, walking up to one the windows and staring out into the foyer as he listened to Callie walk into the room and close the door after her. "George…" He could hear her murmur.

"Nothing happened." George spoke out as he continued to watch the people in the foyer run around; the patients, the nurses, the doctors. "It's not like I wanted to fail because I didn't. I tried in the exam, I really did. But I failed. Turns out I'm not a surgeon after all."

"Don't say that." Callie said strongly as she moved closer to George.

"That's what the test's designed to do Callie. You don't pass it, you fail." George could hear Callie sighing as she leaned on the table. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." George continued. "But we can make this work. We're going to have a kid and there's heaps of jobs I can get with a my med degree." He turned around and looked over to Callie. "We can make this work."

Callie smiled softly as she looked at George. Getting up from the table she walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "I love you." She whispered in his ear.

George remained silent.

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Cristina dug into her nails as she scrubbed her nails thoroughly with the cold bar of soap under the hard water.

She could feel Burke staring at her. His tap was running, but he wasn't scrubbing. He was on the other end of the sink, glancing up at her all the time. She hated it. She could feel his eyes piercing the back of her thoughts but she couldn't tell him to stop. She couldn't look up at him. So she dug out the non-existent dirt from under her nails, waiting for him to dry his hands and leave so she could stop.

The surgery before could be best described as awkward. She stood there, observing, then helping when needed, then observing, then cauterise, then observing. He never once talked to her, just gave instructions. Which he never really indicated to be for her, but she was the one that followed them. Cristina was fine with following orders, but the fact that they were given by a man who had just yesterday left her at the alter for no real, logical reason just pissed her off.

No, it could best be described as 5 hours of Hell.

Suddenly Burke's tap stopped.

Continuing to scrub her now prunish hands, Cristina listened closely as Burke grabbed a paper towel and dried his hands, chucking it in the bin then opening the door and walking out.

Cristina let out a sigh of relief and turned off the tap, quickly grabbing a paper towel as she relished in the dryness.

Suddenly the door to the OR opened and a scrub nurse walked up to the basin, turning on the tap and washing her hands as she stared into the OR through the window.

"Well, that was one for the books."

Cristina, too busy chucking one of the towels into the bin then grabbing another one didn't notice the nurse waiting for an answer. "Huh?" Cristina suddenly realised the nurse was looking at her. "What was that?"

"I said it was one for the books." The nurse looked back to the OR. "Don't know if I'll be able to scrub in with Burke again. One of the best surgeon's I've worked with."

"What are you talking about?" Cristina looked at the nurse, now interested.

The nurse looked up at Cristina. "Didn't he tell you? He gave his two week's notice this morning."

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**NB: Well, that was a depressing chapter. A long chapter - woot! – but a depressing chapter none the less. What was really hard was writing that break-up between Meredith and Derek, because, as I have explained before, I'm a diehard MerDer fan, so to write them breaking-up? Very hard. Hopefully it doesn't come across as a blob of stupidness, cause it was difficult. But yes. Burke eh? Well, I know that Isaiah's been in negotiations for other jobs next season so I don't know if he'll stay for my season 4 or for the real one. One thing's for sure: Addison's staying put in Seattle. That's right: no chance in hell she's going to LA when I'm in charge. And George is still set on leaving, so we'll see how that works out. But he didn't say he loves Callie back…**

**But yes, what else? Ah yes! The slightly-not-very-secret-at-all message of someone to Alex. Stuff this, you all know it was Ava sending the message. If you didn't, you should check out your nuance meter, it must be set at Obnoxious.**

**But that's enough from me! For now at least. Don't expect me to be saving you from my ramblings anytime soon! But, shall shut up. Please review! They mean everything to me! And they fill me up better than this red wine! Hmm...red wine…ok, maybe not. We'll see. But yes, review! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter VI

**After the Storm – Chapter VI**

Meredith stacked up all the charts on the counter and slid them into her arms. Walking down the hall she swerved past the rushing doctors and nurses down to the lab.

This wasn't really her job to do now that she was a resident, but she had to do it anyway. She couldn't hang round the pit, waiting for a page. She couldn't stop. Because if she stopped, she'd realised what exactly she did.

Which was apparently to break up with Derek. Which was bad. So she was doing lab rounds. Suddenly her pager went off. Quickly pulling her back into reality Meredith jumped a bit in surprise of her pager, leaving the pile of charts she was holding to collapse and fall sprawling on the floor.

"Crap." Meredith quickly looked at her page as it flashed a '911'. Quickly she dropped to the floor and started to pick up the charts as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the many pairs of eyes staring at her.

Suddenly a chart appeared in front of her face in midair. Looking up she saw a young looking woman with dark brown hair holding the holder in front of her and smiling kindly. Meredith quickly recognised her as the girl who scrubbed in on Derek's surgery.

"You're an intern." Meredith suddenly blurted out, more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." The girl said simply as Meredith picked up her chart and stood up.

"Great." Meredith smiled. "Ah, you doing something now?"

"Just scrubbed out."

"Fantastic. Can you take these charts here," Meredith shoved the pile into the girl's face who hesitated for a second then slid the charts into her arms. "Can you take them down to the lab and get them tested ASAP?"

"Sure." The girl forced a smile.

"Great." Meredith turned around back down the hall away from the girl and looked at her pager again. Quickly she turned around to see the girl walk away. "Hold on! Wait!" The girl stopped and turned back around to Meredith. "Sorry, what's you're name? Dr what?"

"Lexie." The girl peered past her charts to Meredith. "Dr Lexie Grey."

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"I'm staying at yours tonight."

Meredith remained seated at the table in her kitchen, the lights down low as she gazed at her shot glass on the table as she rolled it back and forth on its bottom edge. She heard footsteps go into the lounge room, something landing with a thud on the sofa, then footsteps again up to the door of the kitchen.

"The apartment's just freaky. Is that ok?" The footsteps stopped.

Meredith finally peered round from the table to see Cristina standing there at the doorway, hands on hips.

"How did you get in?" Meredith looked at her curiously.

"Know where your spare key is." Cristina walked casually into the kitchen and plopped down on a seat at the table. "But what are you doing here? Drinking tequila alone in a moderately lit room? Seems a bit AA to me."

"What? You want some?" Meredith held out the empty shot glass to Cristina.

"Gimme." She snatched the glass and poured it full of tequila, quickly shotting it down. "So," She shook her head quickly from the burning sensation then slid the glass over to Meredith. "What happened to you today?"

"I had a bad day." Meredith looked blankly at her glass. "I had a really bad day."

"So why aren't you over at Joe's?"

"Derek's there." Meredith murmured.

"Ah." Cristina nodded in understanding. "So what happened now?" Cristina asked in an almost condescending way.

"We broke up. I broke up with him. We've just broken up."

Cristina just raised her eyebrow and looked at her curiously. "So is this a broken-up broken up? Or just the usual make-up-two-days-later-in-the-linen-closet broken up?"

Meredith filled up her glass again. "Broken up as in over-broken up." Meredith put the bottle of tequila down again and stared at the shot glass. "So freaking over." She shot down the glass of burning tequila. "And oh yeah, guess what?" She smiled wryly at Cristina. "I just discovered that my half-sister Lexie of my Dad's who slapped and disowned me is now a surgical intern at Seattle Grace! So you know, my life is complete."

"Well guess what Burke did today." Cristina leaned forward in her seat and leant her head in her hands. "He handed in his two week's notice."

"What – "

Suddenly the front door crashed open.

"I mean what the hell are you doing back here? You need to go. Now!" Meredith and Cristina were interrupted as Izzie's voice filled up the hallway and the front door was closed.

"Just lay off it Iz." Alex's voice came out.

"But it's 8:30!" Izzie continued as she headed to the door of the kitchen and looked at Cristina and Meredith who had turned around in their chairs to see what all the fuss was about. "Tell him it's 8:30!" Izzie protested to Meredith.

"What's ah, what's all this about?" Meredith looked at Izzie confused.

"Izzie's just being annoying." Alex grumbled as he walked past Izzie into the kitchen and up to the fridge. "Ignore her."

"No!" Izzie put her hands on her hips and glared at Alex then looked back at Meredith and Cristina, still looking confused. "Alex got a message from Ava saying that she's leaving at 9 o'clock and that if she leaves she's never coming back." Meredith and Cristina just looked at each other blankly.

"We don't know it was Rebecca who sent it." Alex grumbled as he pulled out a beer from the fridge and flicked off the top.

"Are you being _intentionally _thick??" Izzie stared at Alex in disbelief. "She's basically _begging _you to get her and what the hell are you doing? Drinking beer at home with the two depressed alcoholics!"

"She has a point you know." Cristina looked over at Alex.

"Just lay off it." Alex grumbled again.

"No!" Izzie shouted again. "Because you're a jerk! What the hell have you to be scared of? She's not going to reject you, and it's not like the carpenter's going to put up much of a fight against you!"

Alex put down his beer. "Just – "

"It's 8:32." Cristina looked at her watch.

Meredith looked over at Alex and sighed. "Alex, just go. We have too many relationship problems to deal with your intimacy issues. Just go down to the bus station, and get her back."

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"Double scotch single malt."

Joe looked up at Derek concerned as he passed a drink to a customer. "Another one? You sure?" Joe asked cautiously.

Derek ran his fingers through his hair. "Just keep them coming Joe." He murmured dryly.

Joe put a glass on the counter, poured in the scotch and looked up at Derek as he took a sip of the burning liquid. "Loose a patient?"

"Nup."

"Girl problems?"

"Is there any other kind of problem?" Mark sat down next to Derek smiling, slapping him fraternally on the back. "A beer thanks Joe." He smiled at Joe who glanced at Derek then picked up a glass and filled it from the tap, handing it to Mark.

Mark took a sip of his beer then looked back over to Derek. "Woa, you really do look like shit. What happened to you today?"

"You don't want to know." Derek grumbled as he took another sip of his scotch.

"I used to be you best friend Derek, you don't think I can be your psychiatrist?" Mark smiled at Derek again.

Derek swirled his scotch around in his glass slowly then took another sip and stared back at the glass. "Meredith and I broke up."

"What?" Mark looked genuinely shocked. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Derek shook his head. "It was just…maybe it was too hard." He stared at his glass for a second then looked up at Mark. "_Don't_ go sleeping with her now."

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Mark defended. "But what the hell happened? You're Meredith and Derek, I mean, you guys have problems practically every Thursday but you don't _break up_."

Derek didn't respond. Mark looked back at his beer and took a sip then looked over at Derek again. "Do you still love her?"

Derek remained silent and took another sip. Mark waited for a response for a second then turned away.

"Yes." Murmured a voice next to him.

Mark looked back at Derek. "Then what the hell are you doing?"

"I don't know." Derek said simply as he looked up at Mark. "I just don't know."

"Well then." Mark forced a smile and took a gulp of his beer then looked around the bar. "That girl down there," Mark nodded down the counter. "She's hot and she's been staring at you the whole time."

"_She_," Derek glanced down the bar to the girl. "Is an intern. _And_ Meredith's half sister."

"Jeez," Mark sat back on the stool and took a sip of his beer. "That father really knew how to make 'em."

"Dr Shepherd?"

Both Derek and Mark swerved round in their stools to see the girl they had just talked about standing behind them.

"I," Mark looked at Derek then back at Lexie. "I gotta flirt with some women. Excuse me." Mark quickly finished the rest off his beer then hopped his stool and walked away with a wink to Derek.

Derek quickly turned back to his scotch and took the last sip, finishing the drink and slamming the empty glass down on the counter. "Another one thanks Joe!"

Lexie moved up to the counter and sat down on Mark's now abandoned stool. "Just wanted to say thank you for letting me scrub into your surgery. It not very often an intern gets to scrub in on such an advanced procedure, even if I'm just watching at the back."

"Pleasure." Derek smiled at Lexie.

"So, bad day?" Lexie looked over to Derek.

"Ha." Derek smiled wryly. "You could say that."

"Here." Lexie put a $20 note on the counter. "I owe you. Make it two thanks Joe."

Derek looked at the note on the counter then up at Lexie curiously, who was watching Joe fill up the two glasses. "You're an intern."

Lexie looked back to Derek, raising her eyebrow. "Your point?"

"Nothing." Derek smiled and slid aside his empty glass. "Thanks for the drink."

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Ava sat down on the suitcase and waited outside the office for her husband to collect the tickets. He told her to come inside with him but she didn't want to. She had to stay on guard for Alex.

Even though he wouldn't come.

He wouldn't come if there was a reasonably good chance of her being there, and that was what she gave him.

But there she was sitting there on the suitcase as it started to rain, wondering if Alex would come, trying to stop herself from thinking about what she would do if Alex came, trying to stop thinking about whether she should keep Rebecca or call herself Ava if Alex came.

All these daydreams with Alex in them were not good, because that would mean he definitely wouldn't come, and she would have no but choice to go back to the hills and the carpenter. Unless she went to find Alex herself…

No. She gave him the choice. He was just shocked and emotionally stunted before. If he wants her for real, he'll come. If he doesn't…well, he's just an emotionally stunted jerk and she wouldn't want to be with him anyway.

"Rebecca?"

Ava's mind dangerously ventured into thoughts about what Alex's house looked like, whether or not he stayed with his intern friends, what his bedroom was like…

"Rebecca?"

"Huh?" Ava looked up to see her husband standing next to her, the baby hanging around his chest in a sling, holding the two tickets in his hands.

"It's nearly 9. We got to get on the bus."

"Huh?" Ava looked quickly around the bus station to any sign of Alex. Nothing. "Sure." She sighed and got up from the suitcase. "Let's go home."

Taking the baby off from her husband, Ava clipped the sling around her chest and stoked her babies face before bringing it closer to her. Walking out from underneath the cover the rain began to fall more heavily as her husband picked up the suitcase and ran over to the bus. Ava covered up the sleeping baby's head, trudged through the rain over to the entrance of the bus and stepped in.

"Ava?"

Ava immediately froze at the name and the familiarity of that voice. That voice that she had heard in her dreams, in her nightmares, the voice that found her.

Quickly she turned around.

"Alex."

Alex was standing in the rain, his jacket collar pulled up around his neck as his hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets for warmth, his short hair matted down on his head from the rain.

"Hi." Alex smiled.

"Hey." Ava replied quickly. Unable to think of anything to say, not noticing her husband walking back down the aisle of the bus to her, or the fact that the bus driver was looking at her impatiently. All her mind could comprehend was the fact that Alex was there, standing in the empty car park of the bus station. In the rain.

"You can't go." Alex said simply.

"Sorry?" Ava began to feel slightly numb.

"I said," Alex smiled as he wandered closer to Ava who remained standing on the first step of the coach. "You can't go."

"Why is that?" Ava managed to choke out the words.

Alex continued smiling as he moved even closer to Ava, now gazing into her eyes. "Because I love you. Because I've loved you ever since I saw those eyes. Because I'm a jerk, not a nice guy. Because I'm a surgeon, not a carpenter. And because I'm never going to let you go, even if you run away."

Ava slowly leaned to Alex as he moved closer, his warm breath starting to brush over her lips.

"Rebecca?" Quickly she was flung back to reality as her husband moved down the aisle closer to her. "Rebecca what's going on?"

Sighing, Ava looked down at her baby then turned around to her husband, standing next to the bus driver with a look of sadness over his face.

"Jeff, I'm so sorry."

"You're leaving me." Her husband glared at Alex who remained outside in the rain.

"I'm sorry Jeff, I just can't…" Ava moved back to her husband. "I can't go back. I'm not the same person now. You know that."

"But I love you." Her husband pleaded to her.

"You love Rebecca. I'm not her any more."

"I know." Her husband said dully as he dropped his head. "What about…what about the baby?"

Ava looked down at her child. "I can ah, I can take him if you want. I mean, you can come down and…"

"Yeah." Her husband nodded sadly. "I'll see him." He looked down at the floor then over to the bus driver then back to Ava again. "But I, ah, I have to go, get out of Seattle."

"Ok." Ava said kindly.

Her husband just nodded slowly again. "I'll call you, about the baby."

"Alright." Her husband turned back to the aisle when Ava quickly grabbed him by the arm and stopped him, making him turn back around to face her. "Jeff, forget me. And have a good life. Have a fantastic life for me. Thank you."

Jeff smiled softly and nodded, before turning back around and walking down the aisle.

Ava quickly turned back around and jumped off the coach into Alex's arms. Staring into her eyes once more, Alex stroked back Ava's hair from her face and smiled. Ava grinned back and slowly moved closer to Alex, their hot breaths hitting each other until Alex quickly grabbed her in a kiss.

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**NB: Awwwww. Isn't that nice? Yes, included that last bit cause I though you guys needed some happy stuff amid all that dark and twistyness. Though when thinking about it, Ava left Mr Jeff heart broken so not so pulpy I guess…Oh well, is pure happiness with puppiness and sunshine when compared to other sections of this story so far.**

**Anywho, getting off track: Cristina and Meredith have joined AA, Izzie fights Alex to fulfil her own dreams of love, Mark tries to cheer up Derek, and so, indeed, does Lexie, and George and Callie? Well, I had a George and Callie free chapter, but they shall come back soon enough, in full force next chapter.**

**But speaking about next chapter, I've got something to tell you all. On Sunday I'm going on a Eurotour for 3 weeks so I'm not quite sure how long it will be to the next chapter. So sorry for the wait in advance. But, in saying that, I'll be on here in two days, writing like crazy. And in saying **_**that**_**, you won't get a new chapter until three weeks.**

**I'm just confusing myself now. Anywho: Please review!! (lol, I got a flamer! Sorry, first time I've ever got one. Love it how they don't leave any details for you to defend yourself. Lol, ah…love em!) But yes! Review! Cheers!**

**Reminder: I love MerDer, I'm a MerDer addict. MerDer forever. Ok?**


	7. Chapter VII

**After The Storm – Chapter VII**

"How did we end up looking after a baby?"

"We're out of tequila."

Cristina leaned lazily over the table and gazed down the table to see a baby wrapped up as it lay on a plush blanket on the tabletop. "I mean seriously," Cristina rubbed her face sloppily then looked back at the baby, perplexed. "What series of events leave three drinking women in their kitchen with a baby?"

"We're out of tequila." Meredith said again as she held the empty bottle over her half empty shot glass.

"What?" Cristina looked around to Meredith. "How did that happen?"

"Well with the amount that you've been drinking, it's not surprising that it's happened." Izzie muttered dryly as she sat back in her chair at the table.

"Hey there McModel, you were drinking too." Cristina lifted herself off the table to look at Izzie better. "Come to think of it, why are you down here with us relationshipy-retarded people?"

"I needed to think." Izzie looked down at the table.

"You're a thinking-drunk?" Cristina leant her chin on her fist as she stared at Izzie.

"No, I just need to think about stuff." Izzie ran her palm over her hair.

"Since when does tequila help you think?"

"Talking about tequila, we're out." Meredith reiterated as she continued to hold the empty bottle over her shot glass, the last drop hanging onto the rim.

"But you're Meredith, you're a wasp. Don't you have a secret stash of liquor hidden in the walls or something?" Cristina looked back at Meredith.

Meredith finally put down the empty bottle. "There's only my ex-boyfriend Derek's bottle of scotch and no ones drinking that poison water."

"Someone's angry." Izzie raised her eyebrows.

"Someone's under the influence." Meredith smiled wryly as she took the half shot of tequila.

Cristina sat up in her chair. "Well, we can't have a depressed night with only three quarters of a bottle of tequila, we have to get more!"

"We can't leave the baby here alone." Meredith pointed lazily down the table where the baby was sleeping soundly.

"How the hell did we end up with a sleeping baby?" Cristina looked confused at the baby once more.

"Ah…" Meredith began to think hard.

"Ava came back with Alex, remember?" Izzie looked at Meredith and Cristina as they both tried to rattle their memory. "They went up to his room and asked if we could look after the baby for a few hours? No wonder you guys didn't remember, you were both too busy ranting about the glories of being single while trying to cut up lemons."

"I need a lime." Meredith stared at the scrap of lemon skin lying on the table.

"_We_ need tequila." Cristina quickly corrected.

"I hate love." Meredith grumbled.

Izzie nodded slowly as she continued to stare at the table in deep thought. After a while of silence Izzie looked up at the other two as they leant forward on the table top, Cristina staring at the empty bottle and Meredith staring into thin air.

"I need…" Izzie stumbled as the two looked up at her. "I need to ask you something, and don't…you have to tell me the truth, ok?"

"Ok." Cristina looked up as she began to become curious.

"Did you err…Did you both pass your exams? I mean, did one of you fail?"

"Nope." Meredith answered simply.

"No chance in hell." Cristina smiled. "Why, did you?" She looked at Izzie suspiciously.

"No, no, I passed, I definitely passed," Izzie quickly defended herself. "It's just something…. forget about it." Izzie forced a smile.

"Right…" Cristina raised her eyebrow. "And you say tequila doesn't screw with your thinking."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Izzie and Meredith instantly looked up and turned to the direction of the door then looked at each other curiously.

"Well I'm not going." Cristina mumbled as she put her head in her hands.

Meredith pushed herself away from the table and got up off the chair, stumbling a bit to get her feet then straightening up and headed out of the kitchen to the hallway. Walking up to the covered door she grabbed onto the handle and opened the door.

"Ah!" Meredith blurted out in absence of anything better to say.

"Is it McDreamy?" Cristina's voice came out from the kitchen.

"No it's McSteamy." Meredith shouted back. She looked back at Mark as he stood coolly in the doorway, hands in his leather jacket as he peered into the house. Meredith just glared at him lightly as she held on to the door to stop him from coming in. "So what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." Mark tried to look serious.

Meredith just raised her eyebrow. "No matter what you do or say, I am _not _sleeping with you."

"Someone's slightly inebriated." Mark smiled slyly as he stepped into the hallway and shuffled past Meredith as she dropped her arm and let him pass.

"I had a rough day." Meredith grumbled as she closed the door.

"Well, I know you're not the only one." Mark winked at Meredith as he walked down the hallway and peered into the kitchen. "Well if it isn't Ike, Mike and…. baby." Mark walked into the kitchen and raised his eyebrows as he saw the baby sleeping on the table. "It's not one of yours, is it?" Mark looked over Cristina and Izzie as they continued to sit at the table.

"It's Ava's. The Jane Doe's." Cristina looked up at Mark hopefully. "You didn't bring liquor, did you? We need liquor."

"We're at Meredith's house." Mark made himself at home and sat down in Meredith's chair. "How could you not have liquor? And, come to think of it, why do you have the Jane Doe's baby? Is she living here now?"

"Well, you know, she probably is. We're more like a youth hostel now." Meredith mumbled as she walked into the kitchen after Mark.

"Dr Sloan." Izzie suddenly sat up in her chair.

"You're half-full of tequila, call me Mark." Mark smiled.

"Whatever." Izzie said quickly, "Did you happen, happen at all, to see George today at the hospital?"

"O'Malley?" Mark leant back in his chair. "Nup, can't say I did."

Izzie remained quiet for a second then quickly jumped up from her chair and grabbed her jacket from the kitchen counter. "I gotta," She fumbled as he put on her jacket quickly, "I gotta go."

Meredith and Cristina watched in surprise as Izzie ran out of the kitchen then heard the front door open quickly then slam close.

"Ok then." Mark moved forward in his chair then looked at Meredith. "We need to talk."

"I take this as my cue to exit." Cristina smiled wryly as she stood up slowly from the chair.

"Can you take the baby?" Meredith looked up at Cristina.

"No chance. I did the baby thing for one day, never again." Cristina shuddered. "I'm just going to pass out on the sofa or something…" Cristina mumbled mindlessly as she walked out of the kitchen. Suddenly she stopped and turned around. "_Don't_ sleep with him. Otherwise both of you won't know your asses from your earlobes when you wake up!"

Mark just looked confused as Cristina wandered into the hallway and over to the lounge room.

"She had a bit too much to drink." Meredith explained. Mark nodded in understanding. "So what did you need to talk to me about?" Meredith leant back in her chair.

"Derek." Mark crossed his arms.

"Well that's a surprise." Meredith rolled her eyes.

"More specifically: You and Derek. Why did you break up with him?"

Meredith sat up in her chair. "_I, _am damaged."

"When did you figure that out?" Mark asked sarcastically.

"Shut up." Meredith glared at Mark. "I'm being serious, I'm damaged goods, I'm a damaged person, I'm just… just… damaged!"

"Nice to see the tequila hasn't affected your vocabulary."

"Shut up. I'm damaged, I can't _do_ the happily ever after thing, the opening up and sharing, the living together in sickness and in health till you're old and wrinkly, I can't do that crap. So why the hell even bother?"

"What do you mean, why bother?"

"Oh come on Mark, you understand, you're part of the Dirty Mistresses club! I'm damaged goods, it just doesn't work for us."

"Oh, get off your high horse." Mark rolled his eyes.

"Huh?" Meredith looked confused.

"You're damaged, so what? Stop using it as an excuse for your emotional shortcomings."

"Well, in actual fact, it is the reason for my emot…"

"So what? Derek, he still loves you and you, I'm pretty sure you still love him and though right now it is ridiculously easy for me to seduce you, I'm not going to. Because even with all his stupid jerkness, Derek is still my best friend and I don't want to see him hit himself over the head with a baseball bat when he realises what he's getting himself into with your step-sister."

"My step-sister? Lexie? You mean – "

"He's trying to get over you. He's depressed. And right now he's just doing what Derek does best, he's trying to dig himself out of the hole. But you know, as I know that it only gets deeper. Just stop all this crap ok?"

"I can't." Meredith muttered sadly.

"Fine." Mark sighed as he looked back at Meredith. "I just came here to make a point." He stood up from his chair and looked back down to Meredith. "I just want you to know that this is getting annoying to me, that you two have no real reason for not actually spending the rest of your lives together. No reason whatsoever. So why do you try so hard to make one?"

Meredith looked away from Mark as he stuffed his hands in his jacket and walked out of the kitchen. Meredith listened as his firm footsteps echoed down the hallway then listened as the door opened then shut again softly. Meredith looked down at the sleeping baby then leaned forward onto the table, staring into space.

Mark couldn't be right. It was Mark. Mark doesn't know anything. He couldn't be right.

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George checked his watch as he felt the elevator shift upwards. It was late. Callie was on call that night so he went down to the pub across the road for a bit but now had

Chinese to take back to the hotel room. He missed the old house, Meredith's place. He missed Izzie's incessant baking and Meredith's basic levels of cooking. The hum there was in the morning, the relieved madness at the end of the day.

But if he had the choice to be anywhere right now, he'd be at the hotel alone. The memories of the old house stung the back of his mind, a lump slightly forming in his throat. Those memories hurt, because everything that had happened, all the toil, the strife, the mistakes, all of it had been for nothing. He had gotten nowhere, only worse as he now had to deal with Callie and Izzie. But he was married, there should be no _Callie and Izzie_. But there was. And he failed his exams. So he needed to be alone.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Trudging out of the elevator, George stuffed his free hand into his pocket for his room key as he stared uninterested at the floor. Suddenly a pair of shoes came into view and he came closer to his hotel room. A pair of shoes he recognised.

"Izzie…" George looked up sadly as Izzie stood by his door, arms crossed as she waited for George.

"George," Izzie said softly as she came closer to him. "What – "

"Don't. You shouldn't be here." George stepped back from Izzie and avoided her gaze.

"George," Izzie sighed. "You failed your exam."

"So?" George continued to avoid Izzie's gaze, his hand becoming warmer from the steam of his take out.

"What do you mean _'so'_?" Izzie stood perplexed. "This is a seriously huge thing, why the hell didn't you tell anyone?"

"It doesn't matter." George muttered.

"Wha-?" Izzie stopped short. "Of course it matters! What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing." George looked up at Izzie.

"Have you talked to the chief?"

"Yes. And I quit." George stood straight.

"You _quit_?" Izzie looked at George in disbelief then sharpened her gaze. "What did Callie say?"

"What do you mean?" George looked at her suspiciously.

"What did Callie say when she found out?" Izzie spat. "Cause I'm sure this plays _right_ into her hands – "

"No, she'd never be like that." George said strongly.

"Oh yeah?" Izzie moved up to George. "Callie told me about her little plan, she's relieved you failed, she's relieved you quit but I'm not. I'm not! You know why? Because I'm your best friend, and I love you. Just the way you are, and I know that you want to be a surgeon and I would never let you give it all up to make someone else's vision of you come true. I'm not going to let you give up now, not after everything that has happened, everything you've put in, everything you've done. You better study up on your notes, because you're coming back!"

Izzie quickly grabbed George by the face and kissed him briskly then turned around and walked down the hall, opening the fire doors as she walked down the stairs, away from George.

George stood in shock for a second and looked down the hall as the fire exit door slowly closed. Looking down at the card in his hand George numbly swiped the door open and walked in.

This had just got even worse.

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**NB: Ahahaha! Hello there guys! If there's any left of you, that is. Sorry about the delay, hopefully this is long enough a kick-start back into the story. Actually, I'm quite surprised how long the first bit was, I was only planing to get Izzie out and let Mark talk but I think it kind of grew into… whatever it is. I guess this chapter was about people trying to smack some sense into each other, though I'm not really sure it works. And Mark, gotta love Mark. Mark I think is the classic Fool. You know your Shakespeare, the Fool is the only one that speaks the truth, but no one takes him seriously because he is the fool, and that is the only way he can get away with speaking the truth. But maybe I'm putting **_**way **_**too much thought into his character.**

**Anywho, I'm back, and ready to continue writing so I'm just hoping you're all still there and that no one's written 50 more post season 3 finale fics way better than mine, though I think that's more than likely. So, to let me know that a few of you are still reading: REVIEW!!! Thanks guys, am happy to receive any feedback, even if you hate my guts and find my Author's notes and pleads for reviews extremely annoying. **


	8. Chapter VIII

**After The Storm – Chapter VIII**

Derek quickly jolted awake.

Roughly brushing the oily strands of dark hair from his face Derek rolled onto his back. He felt like shit. Staring up to the ceiling he could felt the taste of stale scotch rise from his throat. But something else stung his mind. He couldn't remember what had happened last night. He was at Joes, he was talking to Lexie and then suddenly, everything became a little bit hazy.

Noticing that he was lying on only one half of his bed Derek rubbed his eyes and tried desperately to remember what happened that night. He couldn't have. No way he could have done it. But still, he could not look next to him; he could not look to the other side of the bed because there was a very high possibility of someone being there.

Which would be alright in many circumstances, in fact, he should be fine with it, Meredith and him were no longer, he has the right to have someone next to him in bed, but the thought of actually having someone in that bed made him sick.

So Derek remained on his back, refraining from listening to anything, staring fixed at the ceiling lest something catch his eye that may make him fall into a deep ditch of regret.

But he had to know, he had to know if she was there, if what he thought might have happened last night actually did.

Slowly rolling over to the other side of the bed, Derek closed his eyes and then quickly opened them. Nothing. Lexie wasn't there. The bed was empty. Letting out a sigh of relief Derek quickly hopped out of bed and peered into the trailer kitchen. Empty. Creeping up to the bathroom door he opened it and looked in. Empty as well.

Relived, Derek sat back on his bed then lay down on his back. It was good, he thought, to be getting over Meredith. Surely it was good. But still he couldn't stop the feeling from the back of his throat. What the hell happened last night? 

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Alex moaned and covered his head with his blanket as his room filled with a loud, piercing noise. Groaning in pain Alex shot out his arm to the bedside counter and hit the alarm clock.

The noise didn't stop. Alex groaned again and groped the alarm clock, hitting every button roughly in vain as the noise continued. Smacking the alarm clock once more Alex threw over his blankets and looked at the alarm clock. It wasn't on.

Instead, behind it came into focus a little crib-carrier thing with a bundle of tiny blankets squirming inside it. Alex just glared at the squirming bundle of blankets, as suddenly two tiny hands appeared, trying to clutch onto the blanket.

Alex looked at the tiny fingers for a second then got up slowly from the bed and walked over to the crib. As he moved closer to the epicentre of the noise, Alex saw the tiny bald head sticking out of the white blankets, it's mouth agape as it's eyes were closed, continuing to grasp onto the blankets and squirm from side to side.

Not knowing what to do, Alex bent down to the crib and gently lifted the baby out, holding it in his arms as he had down so many times with babies at the hospital, but looking at this one awkwardly as he started to lightly jig it in his arms as the baby continued to wail.

Trying to think of what to do, Alex started humming deeply and softly swayed the baby from side to side. The baby continued to wail, but this time a little softer. Nervously raising up his hand, Alex softly stroked the tiny head with the back of his hand, the small amount of soft hair silky to his touch. Suddenly one of the flailing arms touched his hand as the tiny hand grasped onto his pinkie and held it tight. Alex looked down at the baby softly as it stopped wailing.

"The baby needs to be fed."

Alex looked over to his bed as Ava began to emerge from the covers and sit up from the bed. The baby began to wail again.

"Don't think you can do that." Ava continued with a tired smile.

"Ya." Alex looked back down to the baby. "Sure. Of course." Alex slowly walked over to the bed with the baby cradled in his arms and softly gave it over to Ava.

Ava looked up at Alex again with a knowing smile as she held the baby then leaned in and kissed Alex on the lips.

"So…" Ava murmured, as he remained leaning into Alex.

"So…" Alex mumbled.

"Don't you have work to go to?" Ava smiled playfully.

Alex glared at Ava then quickly kissed her and hopped off the bed, checking his alarm clock for the time then grabbed some clothes off the floor, opened the bedroom door and ran out into the hallway.

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"Wake up!"

George groaned as he looked up from his covers to see Callie standing at the foot of his bed.

"What?" George rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What are you doing here, weren't you on call?"

"Yup!" Callie smiled as she held up two ridiculously large coffees in her hands. "And though I'm up and perky now it's not going to last for much long, still on a surgery high so I'd make the most of it while you can. Just got back to get you. One of these is yours."

"What do you mean?" George pulled himself up from the bed. "Why did you come and get me?"

"Aha!" Callie beamed once more as she continued to speak quickly, her eyes sparkling as she was full of energy. "_That_ is my grand-masterful-slightly-scheming-scheme!"

George looked at her blankly. "What the _hell_ are you on?"

"Like I said, surgery high. But don't you want to know what my brilliant dastardly scheme is?"

George just raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I'll tell you!" Callie continued to smile. "You said you could get into Medical Research, so I thought, who do I know from there? And then I remembered! The guy down in Seattle Grace, he used to work for Bayer. Had important job, high ranking and whatever, no idea why he's working at Seattle Grace now. _Anyway_, I thought you could go and talk to him and he'll be able to get you on the inside at Bayer, where your credentials would be more than enough!"

George's stomach suddenly sank. "I have to go back to Seattle Grace."

"It's fine! I can drive you there, but come on, hurry up, need to get back, have a hip replacement in an hour."

George fell back onto the bed and stared up to ceiling in dread. He couldn't go back to Seattle Grace.

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Cristina leaned her elbow on the counter as she stared up at the surgical board with Meredith next to her, leaning on the counter with her arms crossed.

"How come Dr Evil Spawn gets to perform his own C-Section?" Cristina glared at Alex's name as it was printed on the surgical board. "Seriously, just cause he chose to do a simple profession. Cardiac: it's hard, you have to be an expert, you're working on the most vital organ on the whole body. Neo-Natal's just pull it out and snip it off."

"Maybe I can get into Willis' subarachnoid haemorrhage…" Meredith muttered to herself as she stared at the board.

Suddenly Meredith was cut off as she noticed Derek strolling up to the board. Walking up the hallway he stopped suddenly as he looked up and saw Meredith standing at the counter.

"So," Meredith raised her eyes and smiled wryly, "I hear you're dating my step-sister."

Derek quickly stepped over to her. "Meredith, I– "

"It's fine, do whatever you want." Meredith stopped Derek in his tracks again. "Just seems to me you have a thing for interns. What would you say if I start seeing Mar– ?"

"Guys!" Izzie quickly interjected as she walked in from the other hallway.

"Where were you last night?" Cristina quickly looked at Izzie as Meredith and Derek continued to look at each other, their stares peicering each others eyes.

"I came back here to do paper work." Izzie said quickly, "But guys, seriously–"

"Excuse me." Burke suddenly appeared from behind Cristina, reaching over the counter to pick up a medical file. Cristina quickly swerved around from Izzie to look at Burke, arms folded as she raised her eyebrows.

"So I hear you're quitting." Cristina stood up from the counter as Burke turned around from walking back from the hall.

"You heard right. I said goodbye so it wouldn't be fitting if I stayed at the same workplace, would it?" Burke quickly glanced down the hallway to see George and Callie appear from around the corner.

Cristina just glared at Burke. "And yet you still seem to be here…"

"George!" Izzie exclaimed as she saw Callie walking up the hallway with George following awkwardly behind. Cristina looked down the hall to see what Izzie was on about then looked back to Burke to see that he had disappeared. Derek tried to step closer to Meredith.

"Meredith.."

"Don't –"

"Guys, I need to tell you something." Izzie quickly moved infront of Cristina and Meredith as George moved closer, yet both hardly concentrating on Izzie.

"Please don't Iz." George spoke up as he saw what Izzie was doing.

"Listen, because you need to know." Izzie remained staring at Cristina and Meredith as Cristina looked back to the surgical board to look for Burke's name and Meredith looked at Derek as he tilted his head, staring sadly at Meredith. "George failed his exam."

"What??" Cristina and Meredith quickly snapped back to Izzie.

"Iz!" George exclaimed as he finally got up to the counter.

"George!" Meredith exclaimed in surprise as she looked over to him.

"What?" Izzie looked over to George, arms now folded triumphantly. "They had to find out some time. They should know what you're planning on doing." Izzie then looked at Callie coolly. "They should know so they can help you get back."

"I'm not coming back." George said softly.

"What are you playing at?" Callie glared at Izzie, hands now on her hips.

"What do you mean?" Izzie remained still, her eyebrow raised.

"George would have told them when he wanted to. Why the hell would you tell them?"

"Because it's what friends do." Izzie glared at Callie then turned around and walked down the hallway again.

"George…" Meredith looked at him sadly as he looked up at Meredith.

"I have to…" George murmured, "I have to go."

George walked past Derek and continued down the hall as Callie shook her head lightly then followed on. Derek looked at Meredith once more then continued to walk down the hall.

Meredith and Cristina were left alone in front of the surgical board, now staring at the floor in thought. Meredith looked down the hall then up at the board once more and stood up from the counter.

"I have to talk to the chief."

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**NB: Hey there! That was my reasonably hectic chapter so I hope you got the feeling of it, rather than it being a jumble of words. Anywho, have to rush. Just wanted to say that this update is for Princess Chris and one last thing: Please REVIEW!! hopefully capital letters is more persuasive. **


	9. Chapter IX

**After The Storm – Chapter IX**

"George…"

"Callie."

George quickly stopped as he walked down the fire exit stairs and turned around to face Callie as she followed his sudden attempt of escape.

"I…" George began to stumble as he looked down at his hand as it grasped the stair railings then up to Callie as her eyes were suddenly filled with question, and what George could see as tinge of sadness, yet still hoping. "I need…" George looked away then up to Callie sadly. "I need something, and it's nothing against you or anything, because I love you but I just need…I need to get through this whole mess thing right now and it's all just…" The tiny speck of hope in her eyes still remained. "it's just getting worse now and I feel like everything's just rushing past cause I failed then there's this and I…I need you to trust me….I just need, I need space."

The light in Callie's eye quickly went out. "You want a divorce?"

"No!" George automatically responded. "No, I just feel like I need to be on my own for a while, I need to sort out some things, by myself." George looked up to see that he was not helping as Callie sank back onto the cold steps.

"Listen," George softly sat down next to Callie as she stared down at the floor. "This isn't separation or a break-thing or whatever. We're still…I just need some space from everyone. I'm sure you understand."

"I do." Callie said softly as she looked up at George and cracked a weak smile that quickly disappeared. "Everyone?"

"Yeah."

"Ok then. For how long?"

George turned away and looked around the empty stairwell in thought. "As long as it takes me to sort all this crap out."

"Sure. Whatever. I should ah…I should get back to work." Callie smiled weakly again.

"Yeah," George nodded slowly. "I'll see you later."

"Ok." Callie quickly got up and began to walk up the stairs again when she quickly stopped and turned around. "I love you."

"You too." George smiled.

Callie nodded slightly then turned back around and stepped quickly up the stairs to the exit where she opened up the door and walked out, leaving George alone on the concrete steps as the clang of the door closing echoed through the stairwell.

He was free.

Well, for a while.

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Derek stared down into the basin then looked up at the mirror as two tired eyes stared back at him, exhausted with emotion, their emptiness beginning to burrow into the back of his mind…

Derek stood up and pulled out a paper towel, roughly drying his face then chucking the wet paper in the bin.

Maybe he should just let go. Everything inside him just felt like it was going to keep boiling over till he exploded, he just needed to get over it. She said it was over so it's over.

It's over.

Derek stared back into the mirror again, his brow furrowed as he took deep breaths. There, in those two eyes, just there: there was a glimmer of hope; he could start again.

Suddenly someone else walked into the bathroom, quickly jolted Derek out of his position.

Sighing, Derek smiled a bit as he glanced back at his reflection then walked over to the door and out to the corridor.

But before he could walk away from the bathroom door suddenly something ran into him with a muffled yelp.

"Hello Dr Grey," Derek turned around with a smile at Lexie as she picked up a file on the ground, two other interns standing nervously next to her. "Seems we keep running into each other."

"Sorry," Lexie quickly. "Sorry Dr Shepherd, I didn't…I was just talking to the others and I didn't…Sorry, I didn't see where I was going."

"That's alright," Derek nodded to the other interns. "Just you better watch where you walk in a hospital, next time you might slip on a life support cord."

The two other interns smiled quickly at Derek then nervously shuffled away.

"What's up with them?" Derek raised his eyebrow.

"They just, they're not used to attendings that don't bark orders to them." Lexie looked back to the others as they scurried down the hallway.

"About that," Derek looked down to Lexie. "Ah, what happened last night?"

"Last night?" Lexie looked confused. "Oh! _Last night_. You don't remember?"

Derek lowered his voice as he looked around carefully. "Ah, no…and I…"

"Oh!" Lexie suddenly understood. "Oh, nothing like that. I just, I bought you some drinks and then Mark came over.."

"Mark?" Derek looked at her curiously.

"Yeah, I don't know. Anyway, he ended up calling you a cab and took you home so you might have fallen asleep in the taxi."

"Ok." Derek nodded slowly. "Good. Good. Ah, you know if those other interns had any cases?"

Lexie looked surprised at the sudden change of conversation. "No, no I think they're both free-ish, but I am too – "

"Great, I need an intern, thanks." Derek quickly ignored her and walked past, as she turned around surprised and watched him follow the two other interns as they stood at the nurses' station.

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There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Richard called out automatically as he continued to write notes as he flicked through pages of legal documents.

"Chief Webber?" Richard knew that voice.

"What's up?" Richard quickly put down his pen and looked at Meredith as she closed the door behind her and looked at him apprehensively.

"Ah…" She tried to start.

"Yes?" Richard raised his eyebrows expectantly as he leaned back in his chair.

"Ok, I know that I don't know, and I don't; but I do know that it was George that told you about my test, and that it was George who asked you to give me a second chance. No one told me or anything but I know in my heart that it was George who saved me from falling into a deep dark ditch of whatever. So I am asking you, I am begging you to let George have another try in his test, just one more try."

Richard sighed and leaned forward in his chair as he looked up at Meredith sadly. "Meredith…"

"No. You know how good a surgeon he can be."

"He failed the test."

"You cannot just stand there and watch everything he had worked for this entire year just fall to pieces, you have to do something."

"It's not under my jurisdiction. He failed. That's it."

Meredith sank into one of the chairs as Richard looked away through the windows at the silent bustling of the foyer below.

"Look," Richard sighed as he turned back to Meredith. "I already talked to him before but if you can… The internship program has already started up here but I may be able to pull a few favours but the dead line is definitely by the end of this week so perhaps…" Meredith began to sit up in her chair excitedly. " _perhaps_ we can get a retest for him on Friday; that's two days. But you need him to agree to do this test. And I don't know how you're going to do that because he seems adamant to drop out." Richard shook his head in thought for a second then looked back up at Meredith.

"You get him back into the game, and I'll give you the retest."

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Derek shuffled through his patient's file one last time as the elevator stopped on the next level and the doors opened. Looking up he saw her. Of course it would be her.

Meredith walked into the elevator and shuffled her bag over her shoulder as she stared forward as the elevator doors closed on them.

Silence filled up the small box as Derek glanced from his file to Meredith quickly, constantly reminding himself about what he felt when he looked into his own eyes before.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk." Derek suddenly broke the awkward silence.

"What?" Meredith looked back at him, surprised. "No, you weren't."

Derek smiled slightly but it quickly disappeared. "It's over."

Meredith turned away from Derek. "Yeah." She murmured.

"Ok then." Derek nodded to himself as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, him and Meredith both walking out to the main foyer. "Good." He looked up at Meredith as she stopped outside of the elevator. "See you tomorrow then." Derek smiled faintly.

Meredith sighed slightly then smiled back. "See you tomorrow."

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Meredith opened the door to the house and quickly chucked her bag onto the floor as he walked into the house and closed the door behind her. Suddenly she became aware of the sound of boisterous chatting coming from the kitchen and as she took a step forward she was suddenly hit by a wall of spices and soy sauce.

Curious, and somehow suspicious, Meredith walked over to the kitchen and peered in.

"Mer!" Cristina called from the side of the stove as she wove a wooden spoon in the air. "Guess what I'm doing: cooking! Ha!"

Izzie began to laugh as she pulled out a pile of plates from the cupboard and handed them to Ava as she continued to set the table. Peering round, Meredith could see that the crib had been set up in the darkened living room in an attempt of separating it from the noise.

"Stunned at all the signs of happiness-stuff?" Meredith turned around to see Alex holding up a bottle of beer to her.

"Yeah, it's weird." Meredith nodded and picked up the beer from Alex. "Definitely not used to it. But, why are we all cooking and bonding?"

"Turns out Ava can cook Chinese!" Cristina shook the wok a bit as she took another swig of beer.

"I studied Mandarin in Shanghai for a while…" Ava interjected.

"So anyway, she decided that she should teach me how to make it cause it's kind of Koreanish." Cristina mindlessly continued. "And then we thought, why don't we have a proper dinner or something to celebrate!"

"Celebrate what?" Meredith looked suspiciously.

"The end of a terrible friendship!" Cristina handed the wok over to Ava as she walked over to the table.

"To who?" Meredith looked at Cristina curiously.

"To Burke." Cristina sat down on a chair. "If he's stupid enough to walk away and quit his job then hey! I'm not going to stand in his way."

Meredith smiled slightly as she watched the others put the food down on the table and sit in their places.

"You eating?" Izzie looked up at Meredith.

"Nah, thanks; it smells great but I'm not hungry. I'm just going to go to bed."

"Night!" Cristina smiled as she forked some stir-fried vegetables onto her plate.

"Night." Meredith echoed as she placed her bottle of beer on the counter then walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Walking up to her room Meredith took off her jacket and opened the door, chucking it to the floor as she closed the door behind her and collapsed onto her bed.

Lying there in the darkness, Meredith could hear the bright murmur from downstairs of her friends chatting happily. She talked to the Chief about George, she had her dearest friends; her family just downstairs who she knew would always be there for her, whether she wanted it or not.

And yet, even as she listened to the soft murmuring, she felt alone.

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**NB: Yes indeed! Why is that then? I'll give you a clue; someone's missing. So we're going to see if the feeling goes away or not.**

**Anyway, that chapter was more about just cutting everything off, ironing off loose ends, that sort of thing. Cause at the end of last chapter it was all a huge mess. Everyone's just taking a step back now, and being by themselves. Excluding Alex and Ava of course. But George is having some space, and Derek decided he needed space from everything too, so he took another intern, not Lexie. And he agreed to just let Meredith do what she wanted, cause he finally realised trying to catch on to her would just tear him up inside way too much. And Cristina's realised letting go is the best option, so she's getting over it. But next chapter she's going to talk to Burke. and also Meredith will confront George and other stuff will happen. Only question, do we know what Ava's baby is called? Anyone?**

**But thanks for reading, hope you like it. But yes, please review!!**


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